Dole teams up with RFM on distribution

MANILA, Philippines–Concepcion-led RFM Corp. has entered into an exclusive distribution partnership with fruit grower and manufacturer Dole Philippines.

In a press statement on Monday, RFM said it was tapped by Dole to be its exclusive national selling and distribution arm for Dole’s packaged and processed fruit products like pineapple slices, chunks, and tidbits as well as fruit cocktail, fruit mix, juices, mixed fruit drinks, fruits in jars and bowls and tomato sauce.

RFM president Jose Concepcion III said this was a welcome development as Dole products would complement the product offering of the RFM group which were mainly flour-based products like White King Fiesta pasta and sauce, cake mixes, Selecta milk, Sunkist juice products, and Swift meat products.

The move of Dole to let RFM distribute its products was meant to consolidate its selling efforts into one major distributor to have a “more cost–efficient and simpler but more cohesive sales and distribution system that should lead to better placements and sales revenues for Dole products,” RFM said.

Concepcion said the arrangement would also allow RFM to maximize the effectiveness of its sales infrastructure in selling to the retailers particularly in the downline trade channels.